Building panel and laterally adjustable joint produced thereby

ABSTRACT

A prefabricated, insulated building panel formed from an outer facing sheet which may be profiled and an inner facing sheet, wherein the opposed first edges of the facing sheets are connected by an S-shaped non-metallic flexible strip, and the opposite or opposed second edges of the facing sheets are spacedapart. An insulating core, for example, foamed-in-situ polyurethane, bonds the facing sheets one to the other and serves as thermal and sound insulation and to rigidify the panel. Where the outer facing sheet is profiled, the insulating core may fill less than the entire space between the facing sheets. A tongue and a groove are presented along the opposite longitudinal sides of the panel. A segment of the flexible strip is presented within the groove. The tongue and a groove are arranged to provide a laterally adjustable, weather-tight joint between adjacent panels.

United States Patent [191 Lindner Nov. 26, 1974 [75] Inventor: Robert G. Lindner, Sewickley, Pa.

[73] Assignee: H. H. Robertson Company,

Pittsburgh, Pa.

[22] Filed: Nov. 14, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 306,190

[52] US. Cl 52/403, 52/595, 52/599 [51] Int. Cl. E04b 2/88, E04c 2/13 Field of Search 52/403, 272, 275, 284, 52/286, 593, 588,478, 544, 506, 540, 539, 404, 595, 309

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,047,154 7/1936 Pimsner 52/275 2,270,672 l/l942 Heeren 52/593 3,096,601 7/1963 Henry-Biabaud 52/506 3,535,844 10/1970 Glaros 52/595 3,557,503 l/l97l Snyder 52/403 3,564,800 2/1971 Armitage t 52/593 3,733,232 5/1973 Payne 52/573 1 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 205,721 10/1959 Germany 52/403 Primary Examiner-Henry C. Sutherland Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Harry 1B. Keck; George E. Manias [57] ABSTRACT A prefabricated, insulated building panel formed from an outer facing sheet which may be profiled and an inner facing sheet, wherein the opposed first edges of the facing sheets are connected by an S-shaped nonmetallic flexible strip, and the opposite or opposed second edges of the facing sheets are spaced-apart. An insulating core, for example, foamed-in-situ polyurethane, bonds the facing sheets one to the other and serves as thermal and sound insulation and to rigidify the panel. Where the outer facing sheet is profiled, the insulating core may fill less than the entire space be tween the facing sheets. A tongue and a groove are presented along the opposite longitudinal sides of the panel. A segment of the flexible strip is presented within the groove. The tongue and a groove are arranged to provide a laterally adjustable, weather-tight joint between adjacent panels.

7 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures agamsss PATENTEL B M Fl.5

BUILDING PANEL AND LATERALLY ADJUSTABLE JOINT PRODUCED THEREBY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to prefabricated, insulated building panel, and more particularly to improvements in the construction of such panels and to a laterally adjustable, weather-tight joint produced thereby.

2. Description of the Prior Art Shop assembled building panels with inner and outer facing sheets have been proposed having longitudinal edges arranged to provide tongue and groove connections. See US. Pat. Nos. 3,372,520 (HENSEL, Mar. 12, 1968); 3,386,218 (SCOTT, June 4, 1968). Shop assembled building panels with inner and outer sheets and a foamed-in-situ core have been proposed wherein the core fills less than the entire space between the facing sheets. See US. Pat. No. 3,399,503 (PAYNE et al., Sept. 3, 1968).

The HENSEL and SCOTT panels present facing sheet edges along one panel side which extend beyond the foam core. During handling and erection, extreme care must be exercised to avoid delaminating the facing sheets from the foamed core. In the PAYNE et al panel, through conduction paths for heat transfer between the exterior and the interior of the building are presented at both longitudinal sides of the panel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION .The principal objects of this invention are to provide an improved prefabricated insulated building panel and an improved laterally adjustable, weather-tight tongue and groove joint.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved prefabricated insulated building panel wherein inadvertent delamination of either of the facing sheets from the foamed plastic core during manufacture, shipment and erection, is prevented.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved insulated building panel wherein through conduction paths are avoided.

The present invention provides a prefabricated, insulated building panel of the type comprising a liner sheet, a facing sheet, and bonded therebetween a foamed plastic core. The facing sheet may be profiled, in which case the foamed plastic core may fill less than the entire space between the sheets.

The present building panel presents a groove and a tongue along the opposite longitudinal sides of the panel. The groove is-defined, in part, by confronting, oppositely extending flanges of the liner and facing sheets, which are connected by an S-shaped, nonmetallic flexible strip; and, in part, by a side wall and a re-entrant sheet portion of the liner sheet. A flexible strip segment of the Sshaped non-metallic strip is presented within the groove.

At the tongue side of the panel, the edges of the sheets are spaced-apart and are connected solely by the foamed plastic core. The liner sheet presents a side wall extending toward the facing sheet and terminating in an inward flange which confronts the central web of the liner sheet. The facing sheet presents a facing sheet segment which is generally coplanar with the terminal flange and which is spaced therefrom to present a gap therebetween. The foamed plastic core is exposed at the gap. The facing sheet segment terminates in an edge strip which extends into the: foamed plastic core. The arrangement is such that inadvertent delamination of either of the sheets from the foamed plastic core is prevented.

The present invention also provides an improved joint between adjacent ones of the present building panels. The joint is laterally adjustable from a normal joint spacing to a maximum joint spacing or to a minimum joint spacing. The lateral adjustability of the present joint permits the panels which constitute the wall structure to be gathered or spread whereby the coverage provided by the panels is made to conform with the lateral dimensions of the building structural steel framework. It will be appreciated that in the present joint, the flexible strip segment of the S-shaped nonmetallic flexible strip spans across and engages the facing sheet segment and the terminal flange presented by the tongue of the adjacent facing sheet regardless of the joint spacing. The flexible strip segment may be pro vided with a plurality of flexible fingers which extend into engagement with the facing sheet segment, the terminal flange and the exposed foamed plastic core. The exposed portion of the foamed plastic core is effectively enclosed on two sides by the flexible strip segment regardless of the joint spacing. Accordingly, a weather-tight joint is provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary broken side elevation view of a wall structure incorporating a plurality of the building panels of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary isometric end view of the building panel of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary isometric end view of an S- shaped non-metallic flexible strip;

FIG. 4 is a broken cross-sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 1 illustrating the normal joint spacing between adjacent building panels; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are fragmentary cross-sectional views similar to FIG. 5, illustrating, respectively the minimum and maximum joint spacing between adjacent building panels.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) FIG. I illustrates a wall structure 10 assembled from a plurality of the building panels 11 of this invention. The building panels 11 are secured by fasteners 15 to a building structural framework 12 of which only subgirts 13 are illustrated. The panels 11 are erected in side-by-side interengaged relation and present plural joints 14.

The building panel 11 (FIG. 2) comprises a liner sheet 16, a facing sheet 17, and bonded therebetween a foamed plastic core 18. The foamed plastic core 18 preferably is foamed-in-situ from any of the well known organic or inorganic foamed plastics. Where the facing sheet 17 is profiled, as in FIG. 2, the foamed plastic core 18 may fill less than the entire space between the sheet 16, 17. The less-than-full foam core 18 avoids the I excessive pressures generated by foaming plastic materials in the completely filled panels of the prior art. To this end, the facing sheet 18 may present coplanar crests 19, coplanar valleys 20, and inclined webs 21 connecting adjacent ones of the crests l9 and valleys 20. The crests 19 and the webs 21 provide expansion spaces 22 for relieving the pressure generated by the core 18 during foaming.

In general, the panel 11 presents a tongue 23 and a groove 24 along its opposite longitudinal sides. The tongue 23 and groove 24 adapt the panel 11 for sideby-side interengagement with adjacent panels 11.

In general, the sheets 16, 17 (FIG. 4) have central webs 25, 26 disposed in spaced-apart confronting relation and presenting opposed first longitudinal sides 27, 28 at the groove 24 and opposed second longitudinal sides 29, 30 at the tongue 23. Side walls 31, 32 are provided, one connected to each of the first longitudinal sides 27, 28. Each of the side walls 31, 32 extends toward the other sheet. The side walls 31, 32 terminate in flanges 33, 34, respectively. The flanges 33, 34 extend from the side walls 31, 32 in opposite directions generally parallel with the central webs 25, 26 and confront one other, The flanges 33, 34 are connected by an S-shaped non-metallic flexible strip 35.

The flexible strip 35 may be formed from plastic materials capable of providing the required thermal break. In one commercial embodiment of the present building panel, the flexible strip 35 is formed from semi-rigid polyvinyl chloride by a conventional extrusion process.

It will be observed in FIG. 3 that the flexible strip 35 includes a central flexible segment 36, an inner flexible segment 37 and an outer flexible segment 38. The central segment 36 cooperates with the inner and outer segments 37, 38 to define oppositely opening recesses 39, 40 respectively. The outer flexible segment 38 is provided with a plurality of flexible fingers 41 which extend longitudinally of and throughout the entire length of the flexible strip 35.

It will be observed in FIG. 4 that an offset flange segment 34a of the flange 34 is positioned between the central web 26 of the facing sheet 17 and the flange 33 of the liner sheet 16. The flexible strip 35 is positioned such that the offset flange segment 34a extends into the recess 39 whereas the flange 33 extends into the recess of 40. The central segment 36 maintains the flanges 34a, 33 separated and serves as a thermal break. It will also be observed that the flexible fingers 41 of the flexible strip 35 are presented within the groove 24 and are thereby positioned to engage the tongue 23 of an adjacent one of the building panels 11. The flexible fingers 41 preferable are inclined toward the side wall 31 and thereby do not hinder the introduction of the tongue of an adjacent panel.

The liner sheet 16 additionally includes a re-entrant sheet portion 42 which connects the side wall 31 to the first longitudinal side 27. The arrangement is such that the re-entrant sheet portion 42 and the sidewall 31 of the liner sheet 16 cooperated with the flange 34 of the facing sheet 17 and the flexible strip segment 38 to'define the groove 24.

It will be observed that at the tongue 23, the opposed second longitudinal sides 29, 30 are connected solely by the foamed plastic core 18. To avoid inadvertent delamination of the facing sheets 16, 17 from the foamed plastic core 18 at the tongue 23, the liner sheet 16 is provided with a second side wall 43 which extends from an inwardly offset liner sheet segment 44, and a terminal flange 45 extending inwardly from the second side wall 43 in confronting relation with the liner sheet segment 44. Additionally, the facing sheet 17 presents a lateral valley or facing sheet segment 46 which is generally coplanar with the terminal flange 45. The facing sheet segment 46 terminates in an edge strip 47 which extends into and is embedded in the foamed plastic core 18. It will be appreciated that the tongue 23 does not present overhanging facing sheet edges which promote delamination.

FIG. 5 illustrates a joint 14 wherein adjacent panels 11A, 11B are disposed at a normal joint spacing indi cated at 48. It will be observed that in the joint 14, the outer flexible strip segment 38 is engaged with the facing sheet segment 46 and the terminal flange 45 presented by the tongue 238. Thus, the flexible strip segment 38 covers the foamed plastic core 18 exposed at a gap 49 between the facing sheet segment 46 and the terminal flange 45 presented by the tongue 238.

The joint spacing of the panel 11A, 11B may be varied from the normal joint spacing 48 to a minimum joint spacing indicated at 51 in FIG. 6 or to a maximum joint spacing indicated at 50 in FIG. 7. For example, in one commercial embodiment of the present panel 11, the normal joint spacing is three-thirtysecond inch; the maximum permissible joint spacing is three-sixteenths inch; and the permissible variation in the joint spacing from three-thirtysecond inch is plus or minus threethirtysecond inch. In either of the joint spacings illustrated in FIG. 6 and 7, the flexible strip segment 38 continues to be engaged with the terminal flange 45 and the facing sheet segment 46.

I claim:

1. A building panel comprising:

a liner sheet and a facing sheet having central webs disposed in spaced-apart confronting relation and presenting opposed first longitudinal sides and opposed second longitudinal sides;

a foamed plastic core disposed between and bonded to the liner and facing sheets;

side walls, one connected to each of said first longitudinal sides and extending toward the other sheet;

terminal flanges, one connected to each of said side walls, said terminal flanges confronting one another and extending in opposite directions generally parallel with said central webs;

an S-shaped non-metallic flexible strip having oppositely opening recesses;

one of said terminal flanges extending into each of said oppositely opening recesses;

said opposed second longitudinal sides being spacedapart;

a tongue including said second longitudinal sides; and

a longitudinal recess presented between said first longitudinal sides and being defined in part by a flexible strip segment of said S-shaped non-metallic strip and the side wall of said liner sheet.

2. The building panel of claim 1 wherein the terminal flange of said facing sheet is positioned between the central web of said facing sheet and the terminal flange of said liner.

3. The building panel of claim 1 wherein said flexible strip segment includes flexible fingers extending into said longitudinal recess.

4. The building panel of claim 1 including a reentrant sheet portion connecting the side wall and the first longitudinal side of said liner sheet, said re-entrant sheet portion providing one face of said longitudinal recess.

5. The building panel of claim 1 wherein solely by said foamed plastic core. the g t web of Said facing Sheet is profiled; and 7. The building panel of claim 1 wherein said facing w erein said foamed plastic core fills less than the entire Sheet mclude.s

Space between the liner and facing Sheets 5 an edge strip extending from the second longitudinal 6. The building panel of claim 1 wherein slde Into the foamed PlastlC said opposed second longitudinal sides are connected 

1. A building panel comprising: a liner sheet and a facing sheet having central webs disposed in spaced-apart confronting relation and presenting opposed first longitudinal sides and opposed second longitudinal sides; a foamed plastic core disposed between and bonded to the liner and facing sheets; side walls, one connected to each of said first longitudinal sides and extending toward the other sheet; terminal flanges, one connected to each of said side walls, said terminal flanges confronting one another and extending in opposite directions generally parallel with said central webs; an S-shaped non-metallic flexible strip having oppositely opening recesses; one of said terminal flanges extending into each of said oppositely opening recesses; said opposed second longitudinal sides being spaced-apart; a tongue including said second longitudinal sides; and a longitudinal recess presented between said first longitudinal sides and being defined in part by a flexible strip segment of said S-shaped non-metallic strip and the side wall of said liner sheet.
 2. The building panel of claim 1 wherein the terminal flange of said facing sheet is positioned between the central web of said facing sheet and the terminal flange of said liner.
 3. The building panel of claim 1 wherein said flexible strip segment includes flexible fingers extending into said longitudinal recess.
 4. The building panel of claim 1 including a re-entrant sheet portion connecting the side wall and the first longitudinal side of said liner sheet, said re-entrant sheet portion providing one face of said longitudinal recess.
 5. The building panel of claim 1 wherein the central web of said facing sheet is profiled; and wherein said foamed plastic core fills less than the entire space between the liner and facing sheets.
 6. The building panel of claim 1 wherein said opposed second longitudinal sides are connected solely by said foamed plastic core.
 7. The building panel of claim 1 wherein said facing sheet includes an edge strip extending from the second longitudinal side into the foamed plastic core. 